I think it’s time to apologize to Mac Jones.
He has silenced all of the doubters with his performance this year, myself included, by doing the impossible.
Jones joined the Crimson Tide as a three-star quarterback from Jacksonville, Florida. He was one of a few quarterbacks on the Alabama roster, along with Jalen Hurts, who just led the team to a National Championship appearance, and five-star Tua Tagovailoa – both of whome are now starting NFL quarterbacks.
Sure, you can say that just being on the team is an honor, which it is, but he’s been underestimated his whole career in Tuscaloosa, and I think it’s time to acknowledge it.
He sat under Hurts and then watched as Tagovailoa was chosen to save the day in the 2017 National Championship. He witnessed a quarterback battle from outside the ring as the Crimson Tide fanbase argued over Hurts and Tagovailoa for the starting job.
When thrusted into the limelight in 2019 due to contsant injuries that plagued Tagovailoa and Hurts having transferred to Oklahoma, Jones got the job done and even won the Citrus bowl over Michigan, but suffered a bad looking loss to Auburn.
On Jan. 6, 2020, Tua Tagovailoa announced that he would not be returning for his senior season, but would be declaring for the NFL draft.
Alabama fans were sad and excited to see Tagovailoa pursue a professional career, but were also scared for the future of the Crimson Tide’s potent offense that, for the last four seasons, has been an outlier to what the defensively strong program has grown accustomed to.
How do you follow up two quarterbacks that have changed the way the Crimson Tide faithful view offense after years of A.J. McCarron and Jake Coker?
Well, this is where the fan base was split.
It was almost like talking to your family about politics over Thanksgiving dinner.
There’s Mac Jones, who has been with the team for three seasons, but has been deemed a potential game manager; or Bryce Young, the young No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the nation from California.
Arguments over size, arm strength, running ability and age were all over social media, all while the Crimson Tide prepared for what would be the most unpredictable season in college football history.
Nick Saban didn’t say a word and not a single leak came out of the Crimson Tide camp regarding a “QB Controversy,” certainly not reminiscent of the 2018 offseason.
On Sept. 26, 2020 the Alabama Crimson Tide took the field for their season-opening ontest against Missouri on the road. All questions were answered when Mac Jones took the first snap.
He completed 18 of 24 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns, and fans got a glimpse into the future as Bryce Young completed five of his eight passes for 54 yards.
Since then, Jones has not only shocked Crimson Tide fans with how he’s played, but the nation.
Through 12 games played in the 2020-2021 season, Jones has completed 77% of his passes for 4,036 yards, 36 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions.
Oh, and he still has the opportunity to add to those stats with one more game as he tries to lead Alabama to National Championship No. 18.
His journey was one of silence and work behind the scenes. The 2020 version of Mac Jones is not the same as true freshman Mac Jones; however, we will never be able to compare the two.
All that’s left to do now is appreciate the player and the product he’s presented on the field.
He may not have won the Heisman, and he may not have as much hype surrounding him as Joe Burrow did in 2019, but one thing is for sure: Mac Jones went from third-string quarterback to one of the greatest quarterbacks to perform at the University of Alabama.
Often times the ones who are most underestimated harbor the deepest longing to succeed, and that’s what we are witnesing in Mac Jones.
So Mac, on behalf of myself and the many others that didn’t think you had it in you to take this team to even grear heights, I’m sorry and thank you for proving me wrong.